Economic Globalisation and Higher Education Transformation: Comparing the Trends in the States, Kerala and Tamil Nadu of India

Abstract

It is viewed that globalisation, mainly economic globalisation, has severely influenced education, particularly higher education. A comparative case study using document analysis and qualitative interviews is made on the trends in higher education transformation in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu of India and at the six selected higher education institutions from the two states. The decline of public fund to higher education has paved ways for the development of self-financed higher education, increase of tuition fee and self-financed courses at public and at state supported private higher education institutions. As a result cost of higher education has increased and the vulnerable are further marginalized from access to quality higher education. Kerala has resisted privatisation of higher education and experienced mass exodus of students going to neighbouring states for higher education. While Tamil Nadu has gone with privatisation of higher education to create more access to higher edu cation, attracting private investment, yet adverse effects of privatisation are evident. The six micro cases (public / not- for-profit-private / for-profit private higher education institutions) have been responding to these developments, differently, given their nature, interest and capacity.